Road sheltering and optimization

ABSTRACT

A structure for sheltering and optimizing highway systems includes an arcuate structure extending over a highway and a cover over the structure to create an enclosure. The enclosure protects the highway and users of the highway from rain, snow and sun while the surrounding scenery remains visible to drivers. A number of different additions optimize use of the highway. For example, a plurality of solar panels are layered on the cover and wind turbines are used to create usable energy, an air current generation system reduces wind resistance on vehicles to increase gas mileage, and an elevated rail system transports many persons great distances along the highway.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application61/262,398 which was filed on Nov. 18, 2009, the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference, including all drawings andformal papers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a road shelter structure. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a road shelter forenclosing a portion of a road and for optimizing and collecting energyand transferring the energy into electricity and fuel sources.

2. Description of Related Art

The federal highway system has tens of thousands of miles of roadwaystretched throughout the United States. Millions of vehicles travelthese labyrinths of road each day producing emissions harmful to theenvironment and contributing to global warming. Each year, inclementweather and poor road conditions such as wet or icy roads causeaccidents resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries. In a time ofgreat concern for the environment, demand for reducing air pollutionfrom vehicle emissions, increasing gas mileage, and maximizing theefficiency of the use of our dwindling land resources is at an all timehigh. In addition, demands are always being made for increasing thesafety of the federal highway system. No system yet exists forsheltering a road while efficiently using surrounding natural resources.

In addition, it is believed that rising energy costs may somedaydrastically alter the way we produce and use electricity, and it may beeconomically viable to find new methods to collect energy for transferinto electricity. Therefore, new and improved ways to collect and useenergy are being sought out. For example, there exists in the prior arta number of patents directed to wind turbines which are driven by aircurrent created by vehicles. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,378 toWither; U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,467 to Gutterman; U.S. Pat. No. 7,098,553 toWiegel et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,427,173 to Chen; and U.S. Pat. Nos.7,498,684 and 7,525,210 to Fein et al. However, the efficiency andeconomic viability of wind turbines is highly dependent upon a constantand relatively high average wind speed to drive the vanes. Traffic ebbsand flows throughout the day depending upon the time, and it certainlyslows down during the night. Thus, air current provided by traffic isnot constant, and simply using air flow from vehicles to drive windturbines is not a viable solution in many areas.

A viable solution to this problem would be a structure or othermechanical means for manipulating the air flow to increase its velocity,thereby making wind turbines an economically sound solution in many morelocations.

Therefore, a need in the art exists for a structure which optimizesexisting infrastructure to make the existing infrastructure moreefficient, and to be optimized in a manner which will collect energy ina highly-efficient and safe manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect hereof, the present invention provides a structure forsheltering and optimizing the use of a road. The structure generallycomprises: (a) a structure extending over a road, having at least oneway of traffic and preferably two-way traffic and a median, (b) a covercoupled to the structure, the cover enclosing and protecting the roadfrom overhead precipitation and sunlight, and (c) a plurality of solarpanels secured to said cover to convert sunlight to usable power.

In a second aspect hereof, the present invention provides a structurefor sheltering a road and optimizing the collection of energy thereaboutcomprising: (a) a frame extending over the road; and (b) a cover securedto at least a portion of the frame; wherein the shape of the framecauses a wind current passing across the structure to be accelerated.

In a further embodiment hereof, the structure further includes aplurality of wind turbines wherein at least one of the wind turbines islocated beneath the cover adjacent to at least one of a side of the roadand/or the median of the road. The structure can optionally includewherein at least one of the wind turbines is positioned atop the coverat a position proximal to the peak of the structure. The plurality ofwind turbines are driven by air traveling through or over the roadshelter. The air flow across and about the road shelter is increased bythe geometry and features of the road structure to maximize the speed ofthe wind driving the wind turbines. The wind turbines each have a tower,a rotor attached to the tower having a plurality of blades (or vanes),and an electrical generator.

Optionally, the structure may include an electrolytic cell, a hydrogencompressor, a hydrogen fueling station and/or compressed hydrogenstorage tanks. The electrolytic cell is fluidly connected to a waterstorage tank to perform electrolysis on water stored in the storagetank. The hydrogen compressor is fluidly connected to the electrolyticcell to compress hydrogen gas produced by the electrolytic cell. Alsoprovided is a compressed hydrogen fueling station, the compressedhydrogen fueling station being fluidly connected to the hydrogencompressor to receive compressed hydrogen.

The present invention may also provide an elevated rail mass transitsystem. As discussed in further detail below, the elevated rail can belocated either within the cover and atop the road, or it can bepositioned atop the cover.

In yet another embodiment hereof, there is provided a structure forsheltering and optimizing use of a road comprising: (a) a first majorarch beam having an arcuate shape with a first end and a second end,each end of the major arch beam being secured to the ground on oppositesides of the road, across and perpendicular to the road; and (b) a firstcross member truss including first and second ends secured to the firstmajor arch beam proximate the first and second end of the first majorarch beam respectively.

The first cross member truss is secured at a height above the road toallow clearance of traffic on the road.

A second major arch beam substantially similar to the first major archbeam and having a first end and a second end, the second major arch beamis secured substantially similar to and parallel to the first major archbeam.

The structure, also, has a second cross member truss including first andsecond ends secured to the second major arch beam proximate the firstand second end of the second major arch beam respectively. The secondcross member truss is secured at a height substantially similar to thefirst cross member truss.

A first support beam is secured between the first and second major archbeams adjacent to a first edge of the road. The first support beamextends parallel to the first edge of the road. A second support beam issecured between the first and second major arch beam adjacent to asecond edge of the road opposite the first support beam. The secondsupport beam extends parallel to the second edge of the road. Aplurality of arcuate support beams forming a rib like structure betweenthe first and second major arch beam and having first ends is secured tothe first support beam and second ends secured to the second supportbeam. A cover extends between the first and second major arch beams andover the plurality of support beams to form a roof-like structure overthe road. According to this embodiment, a plurality of solar panels aresecured to the cover to convert sunlight to usable power.

The present invention can further comprise a method for sheltering andoptimizing the use of a road comprising: (a) covering a road with anenclosed structure spanning over the road; (b) coupling a solar panel tothe structure to convert sunlight to usable power; (c) coupling a windturbine to the structure to convert wind energy to usable power; and (d)providing a vertical wind turbine within the structure to collect energyand redirect the flow of air exiting the vertical wind turbine with theflow of traffic on the road to decrease air resistance against thetraffic.

Critical to the design of the road shelter is that the velocity of theair current increases substantially as it flows over, across, andthrough the road shelter, thereby maximizing the energy drawn from theair by the wind turbines. As air approaches the road shelter from theside, the arcuate shape of the road shelter forces the air upward, andthe air accelerates much like the design of an airplane wing. Theaccelerated air is then redirected toward and through wind turbines tocapitalize on the increased wind speeds.

It is believed that wind turbines are not otherwise suitable for use inareas that do not have a sufficient average constant wind velocity tomake the wind turbines an economically viable solution. However, theroad shelter's inherent design can increase the ambient wind speed by20% or more, thereby making wind turbines a realistic solution for manymore locations than was previously known. In addition, the efficiency ofa wind turbine increases exponentially as the wind speed increases.Therefore, the design of the road shelter creates an increase in windspeed which it is able to collect and maximize.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference ismade to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Inthe drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts throughoutthe views in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a road shelter of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the road shelter depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the road shelter showing the railcarpositioned on the top of the cover;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional front view of a portion of the road shelterdepicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the road shelterdepicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top cross-sectional view of a vertical wind turbine depictedin FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the road shelter depicted in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the road shelter depicted in FIG. 3showing air current across the road shelter;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are front and side views of the screen spanning thedistance between the major arch beams; and

FIG. 11 is an overhead view showing an exemplary intersection of roadscovered by the road shelter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As noted above, the present invention is directed to a structure forsheltering a road and optimizing the amount of energy collectedthereabout for transfer into electricity or other usable fuel-sources.The structure includes a structural support frame constructed over aroadway, a cover over a portion of the structural support to shelter theroadway from the elements, and a plurality of solar panels. The solarpanels are installed on the cover and connected to an electricalnetwork.

In a second embodiment, at least one vertical wind turbine is located ina median of the road and secured to portions of the structural supportbeams. At least one horizontal turbine can also be provided whichextends above the cover, and which is driven by air current flowing overthe cover.

In a third embodiment, an electrolytic cell is provided which performselectrolysis of water stored in a water storage tank filled by adrainage system which collects rain water running off of the cover.

In a fourth embodiment, an elevated rail is located near the cover oneither the inside or outside of the structure.

It is to be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that thedescribed road shelter may be one of multiple identical “grid pieces”that can be connected in sequence to create a road shelter stretchingmany miles.

The following description of the preferred embodiment is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a road shelterconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention isgenerally identified by the reference numeral 10. The road shelter 10includes a structural frame 12, a cover 14, elevated wind turbines 16,and an elevated rail 18. The structure 12 is designed to span over aroad or highway 20 having a median 22 and road edges 24 and 26, forexample a U.S. Interstate highway.

In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the structuralframe 12 includes spaced apart major arch beams 28 and 30, cross membertrusses 32 and 34, arch support members 36 and 38, a plurality ofsupport beams each denoted at 40, and foundations 42. The structure 12may be made from any suitable building material, for example, structuralsteel, concrete, or like. The major arch beams 28, 30 can comprise apair of arcuate I-beams having ends 28 a, 28 b and 30 a, 30 b,respectively. The major arch beams 28, 30 extend perpendicular to andover the road 20 and are stabilized at the ends 28 a, 28 b, 30 a and 30b by the foundations 42 located adjacent to the road edges 24, 26.Preferably the major arch beams 28, 30 extend upwardly from thefoundations 42 at an angle of about 70°-80° with respect to thehorizontal plane.

The major arch beams 28, 30 are oriented substantially parallel to oneanother and are preferably spaced approximately 100 feet apart. However,the spacing may be adjusted depending on road curvature or other designparameters. The cross member truss 32 includes ends 44 and 46 coupled tothe major arch beam 28 in a customary fashion at a height ofapproximately 20 feet such that the cross member truss 32 is in-planewith the major arch beam 28 and extends across and perpendicular to theroad 20. Alternatively, the cross member truss 32 may be coupled to themajor arch beam 28 at any desired height to allow clearance of vehicleswith various heights on the road 20 by at least about 20 footthereabove. Much like the cross member truss 32, the cross member truss34 includes ends 48 and 50 coupled to the major arch beam 30 as thecross beam 28 to the arch beam 28.

The arch support member 36 includes ends 52 and 54. End 52 is coupled tothe major arch beam 28 in a conventional manner and end 54 is coupled tothe major arch beam 30 in a similar manner. The arch support member 36is at a height of approximately 30 feet above the road 20 and isoriented substantially parallel to the road edge 24. Alternatively, thearch support member 36 may be coupled to the major arch beams 28, 30 ata different height to vary the amount of surroundings visible to driverson the road 20. The arch support member 38 includes ends 56 and 58. Theend 56 is coupled to the major arch beam 28 and the end 58 is coupled tothe major arch beam 30 in a fashion similar to the arch support member36 on the opposite side of the road 20, such that the arch supportmember 38 is oriented parallel to the road edge 26.

The plurality of support beams 40 may be arcuate I-beams or trussessmaller in size than the major arch beams 28, 30 and having ends 60 and62. The end 60 is coupled to the arch support member 36 and the end 62is coupled to the arch support member 38 in a conventional manner suchthat the support beam 40 extends perpendicular to and over the road 20.The support beams 40 may be placed evenly between the major arch beams28, 30 to form a rib-like structure, for example every 20 feet. However,the placement of the support beams 40 may vary depending on structuralneed and geographic location.

Optionally, at least one platform 41 can be provided which is disposedbetween the successive support beams 40. Preferably, each providedplatform 41 is 4 feet in width, and five adjacent platforms 41,41′, etc.are provided to span between each adjacent set of support beams 40. Eachof the platforms 41 can be configured for use as desired. For example,at least one of the platforms 41 can comprise a tank or vat (not shown)for storing rain water which has run off the cover 14. At least one ofthe platforms 41 can also comprise a location for storing batteries (notshown) which are being (or have been) charged in a manner described infurther detail below. At least one of the platforms 41 can also comprisea duct 43 for receiving accelerated exterior air and delivering theaccelerated air to a respective vertical wind turbine 106. In onearrangement, a successive series of the platforms 41 can be configuredto rotate between a tank, battery location, duct 43 and so forth.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the ends 44,46 and 56,58 of the respectivecross member trusses 32 and 34 can optionally extend beyond the majorarch beams 28 and 30. For any platforms 41 which comprise a water tank,the ends 44,46 extend beyond the beams 28 and 30 allowing the extendedportion of the tank to catch any water running off the cover 14, therebyproviding the road shelter 10 with a water collection system. The tankcan also include means for filtration (not shown) to clean the waterentering the tank.

For any platforms 41 which comprise a duct 43, the extended duct 43provides a collection point 45 for accelerated exterior air, such asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8. It is understood by one having ordinary skill inthe art that air current approaching the road shelter 10 is directedupwardly and its velocity is accelerated as it moves upwardly into thecollection point 45 created by the overhanging duct 43. The duct 43 thendelivers the accelerated air to a respective vertical wind turbine 106.The duct 43 can optionally include a valve (not shown) to shut-off orregulate the amount of air current passing through the duct 43.

The cover 14 may be any suitable material for enclosing the structure12, such as sheet metal, glass, or the like. The cover 14 is secured tothe plurality of support beams 40 by any conventional means well-knownto one having ordinary skill in the art and extends from the major archbeam 28 to the major arch beam 30 and from the arch support member 36 tothe arch support member 38 to create a roof-like enclosure over therib-like structure formed by the support beams 40. The cover 14 shieldsthe road 20 from environmental elements like rain, snow and sun, thusallowing for safer driving conditions and the ability to expedite roadconstruction even in bad weather.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-5, the cover 14 and associated components areillustrated in more detail in cross-section. The cover 14 may optionallyinclude a plurality of integrally formed channels 80 extendingtransversely from the major arch beam 28 to the major arch beam 30 tocollect and route precipitation for drainage. When provided, thechannels 80 can be approximately 4 inches wide. However their size mayvary depending on construction preferences or the precipitation drainagedemands of a specific geographic location. The channels 80 collect androute water to either or both of the major arch beams 28, 30, or to thetank described above. As seen in FIG. 5, routed water may enter anI-beam cavity 82 between I-beam flanges 84, 86 where, due to gravity,the water is further routed to the ground or an alternate drainagesystem.

In one embodiment in FIG. 2, piping 83 can be provided to run linearlywith the cross member beam 32 and collect water from the I-beam cavity82 at the intersection of the major arch beam 28 and the cross memberbeam 32. When provided, the piping 83 can direct the collected water toa water storage tank 87 which can be located proximate the road shelter10 for later use or shipment to another location.

The cover 14 may also include a plurality of photovoltaic cell solarpanels 88. As solar panels are well known in the art, discussion oftheir technical structure is not needed. Any suitable type ofcommercially available photovoltaic cell solar panel can be used for useherewith. The solar panels 88 may be rectangular and approximately 4feet long, 2 feet wide and oriented lengthwise across the cover 14 asshown in FIG. 1. The solar panels 88 are preferably individuallyattached to the cover 14 on both sides of the channels 80 approximately4 inches apart to allow drainage of precipitation. Alternatively, thesolar panels 88 may be interconnected in a continuous roll and coupledas such to the cover 14. The solar panels 88 are electrically connectedto an inverter (when the electricity is to be directed into an ACcircuit) and/or batteries (not shown) for storage of electricityproduced by the solar panels 88.

In a second preferred embodiment and with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3,the road shelter 10 can include at least one elevated wind turbine 16.Each wind turbine 16 includes a tower 100, a rotor assembly 102 havingprojecting blades 104, and a generator not shown). The towers 100 extendupwardly from the cover 14 and can be positioned at any position alongthe arch of the cover 14. Preferably, the towers 100 are positioned nearthe peak of the arch to collect the accelerated air current formaximized efficiency. Although it is not required, each tower 100 canoptionally be positioned in-plane with each of the major arch beams 28,30 such that each tower 100 can extend from the median 22 upwardsthrough and is coupled to the cross member truss 32 and the major archbeam 28 or the cross member truss 34 and the major arch beam 30 at theirrespective mid-points. The rotor assemblies 102 are coupled to the topof the towers 100 with the blades 104 extending therefrom.

The blades 104 of the wind turbine 16 convert wind energy to kineticenergy as is well-known in the art. While a three-bladed horizontal windturbine is illustrated, any suitable wind turbine may be used. Therotating kinetic energy of the blades 104 and rotor assembly 102 is thentransferred to electrical energy by the generator. The electricityproduced by the wind turbine 16 is then stored in batteries (not shown)for later use, connected to a power grid, used to power particularstructures within the road shelter 10 itself, and so forth.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, at least one vertical wind turbine106 can optionally be provided as well. When provided, each verticalwind turbine 106 is preferably located in the median 22 of the road 20,although they can be located along the side(s) of the road or at anyother location which is determined suitable by one having ordinary skillin the art. Each vertical wind turbine 106 is preferably 10 to 15 feettall and includes a rotor shaft 108 and blades 110 extending adjacentthe length of the rotor shaft 108 and coupled thereto. The vertical windturbines 106 can comprise any suitable type of commercially availablewind turbine, including turbines known more commonly as wind spires,Savonius wind turbines, Darrieus wind turbines, or the like.

Each rotor shaft 108 is rotated by the blades 110 in a counter-clockwisedirection. Preferably the blades 110 are shaped and oriented so that theair exiting the vertical wind turbines 106 is in the direction of travelof the vehicles using the road 20, thus reducing air resistance againstthe vehicles. As described above, accelerated air entering the verticalwind turbines 106 can be delivered by a respective duct 43. The windcurrent generated by the vertical wind turbines 106 will reduce vehiclefuel consumption and vehicle emissions that are harmful to theenvironment. The rotor shaft 108 and the blades 110 can also beconnected to a generator (not shown) for converting wind energy intoelectrical energy.

Additionally, the vertical wind turbines 106 may further include atleast one exhaust deflection wall 112. Each of the exhaust deflectionwalls 112 can be located in diagonally opposite quadrants to block theair exiting the turbines 106 from being directed towards the oncomingtraffic. The curvature of the exhaust deflection walls 112 iscomplimentary to the rotational path of the vertical wind turbines 106and assists the vertical wind turbines 106 in directing air current inthe direction the traffic is traveling. The air current generated by thevertical wind turbines 106 hitting the exhaust deflection walls 112 willbe directed around the curvature in a counter-clockwise direction and inthe direction of the flow of traffic on respective sides of the road 20.

In a third embodiment, an electrolytic cell 200 can optionally beprovided. When provided, the electrolytic cell 200 is preferably locatednear the water storage tank 87 or any tank located on the platform 41,as illustrated in FIG. 1. The electrolytic cell 200 may be onealternative system powered by wind turbines 16. Precipitation collectedand routed to the water storage tank 87 from the channels 80, the I-beamcavity 82 and the piping 83 may be delivered to the electrolytic cell200 to undergo electrolysis. The wind turbine 16 and/or the verticalwind turbine 106 may be electrically connected to the electrolytic cell200, which uses the electricity in the well-known process to break downwater into hydrogen gas and oxygen. Additionally, the electrolytic cell200 may be powered by the solar panels 88 or a standard power source.

The hydrogen gas resulting from the electrolysis may then be compressedby a hydrogen compressor 202 and transferred by pipe to a hydrogenstorage tank (not shown) or a compressed hydrogen fuel station 204located within the road shelter 10 for refueling vehicles. Thecompressed hydrogen may also be sent to offsite locations.

In a fourth embodiment, the road shelter 10 can also optionally includean elevated rail transportation system 18 as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3.The elevated rail 18 can be located either above or below the cover 14as desired. When the elevated rail 18 is located below the cover 14, theelevated rail 18 includes a spanning member 300, a rail 302, supportcolumns 304 and one or more railcars 306. The spanning member 300 islocated within the road shelter 10 above the road median 22 and issupported in an elevated position by the support columns 304 rising fromthe road median 22. The towers 100 of the wind turbines 16 may also beused as support columns as shown or as supplemental support columns. Thespanning member 300 supports one or more rails 302 and one or morerailcars 306 travelling on the rail 302. The spanning member 300 may beany desired width to accommodate multiple rails 302 and railcars 306.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the elevated rail 18 is positioned atop thecover 14, the spanning member 300 is positioned atop the cover 14 andthe rail 302 and the railcar 306 are positioned atop the spanning member300 as usual.

Optionally, the road shelter 10 can comprise an elevated platform 120which includes an overhang 122. It is understood by one having ordinaryskill in the art that the elevated platform 120 has particular utilitywhen the elevated rail 18 is positioned atop the cover 14. Solar panels88 can be placed atop the overhang 122. The overhang 122 also provides ashelter to the railcar 306. As shown in FIG. 8, the overhang 122 furthercaptivates and directs the flow of accelerated air passing upwardlyacross the road shelter 10. The elevated platform 120 can optionallyinclude an elevated wind turbine 124 which is driven by the acceleratedair that has been directed by the overhang 122. The elevated platform120 can include air gates, or valves, (not shown) to regulate the amountof air driving the elevated wind turbine 124.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the road shelter 10 can optionally include ascreen 126 spanning at least a portion of the distance between the majorarch beams 28 and 30 below the arch support members 36 and 38.Preferably the screen 126 is connected on each of its ends to the majorarch beams 28 and 30. The screen 126 comprises a semi-permeable materialallowing a minimal portion of air to pass through it, and redirectingthe majority of the air upward. The screen 126 can include a pluralityof holes (not shown) being sized about 1″ diameter or less.Alternatively, the screen 126 can be formed from a material comprisingan array or matrix of very small openings 128. The screen 126 allowspeople in vehicles passing under the road shelter 10 to view outside theroad shelter 10 and to allow light onto the road 20, yet redirects amajority of the wind current for purposes of maximizing the wind speedto fully capitalize on the wind turbines 106.

The road shelter 10 described above may be one grid section of a muchlarger road shelter comprised of identical grid sections connected toone another along a stretch of highway. One or more features describedabove may be excluded or altered in specific grid sections due to, forexample, transportation demands, building requirements and geographiclocation.

The road shelter 10 can be suitable for use with the intersection ofroads as well. FIG. 11 includes wind vectors representative of the winddirection as it approaches an intersection of roads under the roadshelter 10. As shown, the wind is funneled toward the intersection toeven further accelerate the air.

It is known to those having ordinary skill in the art that vertical windturbines can be subjected to deflection about their vertical axis fromhigh wind speeds, and this deflection causes a decrease in efficiency.Thus, it is advantageous to provide vertical wind turbines which arerotatably mounted at both the top and bottom to substantially eliminatedeflection, as is provided for in the exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention.

It is understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that a“horizontal” turbine is one which generally includes a rotatinghorizontal axis, and a “vertical” turbine is one which generallyincludes a rotating vertical axis. The present invention is not intendedto be so limited by the disclosure of any particular turbine beingeither horizontal or vertical. It is intended that any suitable turbineknown to one having ordinary skill in the art can be used as describedgenerally above.

It is appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that the roadshelter can be connected to a power grid to allow the road shelter toprovide temporary electricity to surrounding residential and commercialareas during power outages. In this respect, the road shelter canprovide near-instantaneous electricity generated by the solar panels andthe various wind turbines which is advantageous over many traditionalpower sources (e.g., coal plants, nuclear power plants, etc.) which cantake days to “turn on” and ramp up to full capacity.

It is also appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that thepresent invention described herein provides flexible and adaptivesolutions. The road shelter can be modified or outfitted with variousimplements described above as desired. For instance, the vertical windturbines can be omitted when the road shelter is located in closeproximity to residential or commercial areas. Furthermore, the roadshelter uses turbines, solar panels, and other commercially availableproducts to allow older components to be swapped out with newer moreefficient products as they become available, thereby continuouslyimproving the efficiency of the road shelter. Therefore, the presentinvention provides an energy efficient invention which is optimizedgeographically for use in solving modern day energy problems.

Furthermore, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merelyexemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the artwill recognize from the discussion, and from the accompanying drawingsand claims, that various changes, modifications and variations may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the following claims.

1. A structure for sheltering a road and optimizing the collection ofenergy thereabout comprising: (a) a frame extending over the road; (b) acover secured to at least a portion of the frame; and (c) a plurality ofsolar panels secured to the cover.
 2. The structure of claim 1 whereinthe shape of the frame causes a current of wind passing across thestructure to be accelerated.
 3. The structure of claim 1 including atleast one vertical wind turbine positioned proximal to the road, thevertical wind turbine having air exiting the vertical wind turbine insubstantially the same direction as the direction of travel along theroad.
 4. The structure of claim 3 wherein each vertical wind turbine isdriven by a wind current that is accelerated by the shape of the frame.5. The structure of claim 1 including an elevated rail and an elevatedrailcar which travels along the rail, the rail and the railcar beingpositioned under the cover.
 6. The structure of claim 1 including atleast one horizontal wind turbine extending upwardly from the cover. 7.The structure of claim 6 wherein the shape of the frame causes a windcurrent passing across the structure to be accelerated.
 8. The structureof claim 1 including an elevated rail and an elevated railcar whichtravels along the rail, the rail and the railcar being positioned atopthe cover.
 9. The structure of claim 8 including an elevated platformpositioned atop the cover, the elevated platform including an elevatedturbine and an overhang which directs a wind current to the elevatedturbine.
 10. The structure of claim 1 including an elevated platformpositioned atop the cover, the elevated platform including an elevatedturbine and an overhang which directs a wind current to the elevatedturbine.
 11. A structure for sheltering a road and optimizing thecollection of energy thereabout comprising: (a) a frame extending overthe road; and (b) a cover secured to at least a portion of the frame;(c) wherein the shape of the frame causes a wind current passing acrossthe structure to be accelerated.
 12. The structure of claim 1 includinga plurality of solar panels secured to the cover.
 13. The structure ofclaim 1 including at least one horizontal wind turbine extendingupwardly from the cover.
 14. The structure of claim 13 including aplurality of solar panels secured to the cover.
 15. The structure ofclaim 11 including at least one vertical wind turbine positionedproximal to the road, the vertical wind turbine having air exiting thevertical wind turbine in substantially the same direction as thedirection of travel along the road.
 16. The structure of claim 15wherein each vertical wind turbine is driven by a wind current that isaccelerated by the shape of the frame.
 17. The structure of claim 11including an elevated rail and an elevated railcar which travels alongthe rail, the rail and the railcar being positioned under the cover. 18.The structure of claim 11 including an elevated rail and an elevatedrailcar which travels along the rail, the rail and the railcar beingpositioned atop the cover.
 19. The structure of claim 18 including anelevated platform positioned atop the cover, the elevated platformincluding an elevated turbine and an overhang which directs a windcurrent to the elevated turbine.
 20. The structure of claim 11 includingan elevated platform positioned atop the cover, the elevated platformincluding an elevated turbine and an overhang which directs a windcurrent to the elevated turbine.